SEB1525@draper.com (Steve Bacher (Batchman)) (08/18/88)
Subj: RE: interesting - amiga list on special chars Interesting discussion on character names. I have a few comments: "#" is "sharpsign" (esp. to Common Lisp hackers), or "gridlet" (a name bestowed by a contest conducted by All Things Considered a while back), but please, not "pound" or "pound sign". A pound sign is a cursive L with a line through it, which I obviously can't enter here but shows up on certain IBM 3270-type terminals for hex 43. "`" backquote, backtick, or what have you, but NOT accent grave. An accent of any kind is a character that appears OVER an alphabetic, i.e. in the same byte position, and does NOT occupy a separate location as "`" does. The ASCII circumflex corresponds with the EBCDIC "logical not" sign, a name that probably derives from PL/1, and it looks like a backwards capital L tossed upwards so that its back sticks to the ceiling. Both have erroneously been referred to as "caret", although "hat" is a good name. "_" is being called "underbar" with increasing frequency these days, even amongst those who used to prefer "underscore". Don't know why, except for the niftiness of its rhyming with "wunderbar."
darin@nova.laic.uucp (Darin Johnson) (08/19/88)
> "#" is "sharpsign" (esp. to Common Lisp hackers), or "gridlet" (a name > bestowed by a contest conducted by All Things Considered a while back), > but please, not "pound" or "pound sign". A pound sign is a cursive L with > a line through it, which I obviously can't enter here but shows up on certain > IBM 3270-type terminals for hex 43. Actually, I have seen this used before to denote pound weight, not pounds sterling (this was in NON-computer-related articles before 1970). In fact, other than being an abbreviation for weight, I can't think of any reason it would be on a typewriter (pre-computer typewriters anyway). Of course, the whole point isn't to get the names right, the point is to make the person you are talking to on the phone understand what key you are talking about. (Of course, "Amiga" is the proper name for my computer, but if there are Spanish speakers around, I would rather say "I left my computer locked up at home" :-) Darin Johnson (...pyramid.arpa!leadsv!laic!darin) (...ucbvax!sun!sunncal!leadsv!laic!darin) "All aboard the DOOMED express!"
mcintyre@rpics (David McIntyre) (08/29/88)
In article <326@laic.UUCP> darin@nova.laic.uucp (Darin Johnson) writes: >> "#" is "sharpsign" (esp. to Common Lisp hackers), or "gridlet" (a name >> bestowed by a contest conducted by All Things Considered a while back), >> but please, not "pound" or "pound sign". >Actually, I have seen this used before to denote pound weight, not pounds >sterling (this was in NON-computer-related articles before 1970). In fact, >other than being an abbreviation for weight, I can't think of any reason it >would be on a typewriter (pre-computer typewriters anyway). How about this.......the offical name for this thing.....well at least the name used by AT&T Bell Labs professional speakers core (the people who go out and give little info talks for a living) is the..... .....OCTOTHORP...... Yes, this strange word means eight-legs (or something along that line), which is exactly what # has....eight little legs. Thought someone out there might care. Dave "mr question" McIntyre | "....say you're thinking about a plate home : 518-276-5842 | of shrimp.....and someone says to office : 518-276-8633 | you `plate,' or `shrimp'......" mcintyre@turing.cs.rpi.edu |